This episode of Imagine What’s Next features Harvard postdoctoral fellow Adam Bulley and University of Queensland professor of psychology Thomas Suddendorf for a discussion about their new book, The Invention of Tomorrow: A Natural History of Foresight. Together Daniel, Thomas, and Adam examine the importance of foresight in tackling some of the biggest problems that the world is facing today. Our capacity as humans to imagine future situations and act accordingly is what sets us apart and above other living creatures, and it is only by foreseeing the potential consequences of our actions that we are able to do something about them. In this conversation, Adam and Thomas share findings from their research, address potential limitations in foresight, and offer tactics for strong leaders when crafting a strategic foresight team that will succeed in the future.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] Human foresight is a topic that captured Thomas’ imagination and academic focus long ago.

[5:48] Defining foresight and the psychology that makes it a critical component of being human.

[11:26] Surprising findings from this research regarding mental time travel.

[13:24] Consider how dominant would humans be without the skill of foresight.

[19:24] The power of vivid imagery and concrete language in galvanizing action.

[24:20] The ongoing conflict between short term-ism and foresight.

[29:20] Insights into the importance of multi-generational and cathedral thinking.

[38:05] The current limitations of strategic foresight and strategies for approaching them.

[43:45] Evaluating the costs and benefits of strategic foresight with the example of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[52:25] Thomas and Adam envision a strategic foresight team that will succeed in the future.

[59:24] Upcoming research and potential breakthroughs in the foresight research domain.

Daniel Forrester

Podfly Productions

Continue the Journey:

Adam Bulley

Thomas Suddendorf

The Invention of Tomorrow: A Natural History of Foresight, by Thomas Suddendorf, Jonathan Redshaw, and Adam Bulley

Daniel Forrester’s new edX Course — Generating Vision: Long-Term Big Ideas That Motivate Employees and Stakeholders

“When I imagine what’s next, I imagine us getting to grips with this really powerful capacity for foresight which we’ve got as part of our cognitive endowment.”

“One of the factors that I think has been largely overlooked is our ability as humans to think about the future.”

“Foresight is at the heart of the human story.”

“Being the ones who are capable of foreseeing the long-term consequences of our actions also makes us responsible for those decisions now.”

“At the end of the day, if you don’t follow through with plans then foresight comes to nothing.”